Punch for marking travelling strip



Nov. 14, 1961 Filed July 3, 1956 A. H. MONABB, JR 3,008,365

PUNCH FOR MARKING TRAVELLING STRIP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H //V VENTOR. ALBERT H. Mc/VABB, Jfi,

AWLM his Attorney.

Nov. 14, 1961 A. H. MCNABB, JR 3,008,365

PUNCH FOR MARKING TRAVELLING STRIP Filed July 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTO/i. ALBERT H. Mc/VABB, J/t,

United States Patent 3,008,365 PUNCH FOR MARKING TRAVELLING STRIP Albert H. McNabb, Jr., Jefferson County, Ala, assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 3, 1956, Ser. No. 595,741 2 Claims. (Cl. 83-308) This invention relates to a flying punch for marking sheet metal stripas it moves through a continuous coating line.

In continuous galvanizing and tinning operations, the sheet steel prior to being coated is electrically scanned for pin holes and other imperfections. Since the subsequently applied coating of zinc or tin would render at least some of such defects incapable of being detected at the final inspection apparatus, the sheet is generally marked with a perforation or indentation opposite each of such defects which is of a size such that it will not be covered by the subsequent coating operation. For this purpose, a marking punch may be used together with a mechanism controlling its operation which includes a magnetic memory device for storing information transmitted to it from the electrical scanning apparatus. One form of apparatus suitable for this purpose is shown, for example, in the copending application of Iames B. Camp, Serial No. 25 8,700, filed November 28, 1951. Another form is shown in United States Patent No. 2,246,906 to Vieoahn et al.

o e of the principal objects of this invention is to provide in an apparatus. of the character mentioned above an improved form of flying punch for marking travelling strip in response to an electrical impulse received from a pin hole detector or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved flying punch of the character referred to which will eliminate the necessity of accurately aligning a pair of cooperating die parts as required by conventional marking devices. Incidental to this object, a still further object of the invention is to substitute a rubber backing member for one of the metal die parts in conventional marking devices. In its preferred embodiment, this rubber backing member is comprised of a wheel supported rubber tread or tire which has frictional engagement with and is driven by the strip.

Another object of the. invention is to provide for movement of both the rubber backing member and punch in the direction of strip movement during the period in which the punch has marking engagement with the strip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a strip punching apparatus in the form of cooperating die parts which consist of a rubber backing member engaged with one side of the strip and a metal punch for engaging the other side of the strip to force it against the backing member to form an indentation or perforation therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the flying punch of this invention looking in a direction from an edge of the strip.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view looking in a direction from the right of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along the line HI--III of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged and detailed sectional view of the punch taken in the plane of the line IVIV of FIGURE 2.

Generally stated, the flying punch of this invention is comprised of a rubber tired wheel 1, a punch 2 and 3,038,365 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 a solenoid 3 for actuating the punch 2. The wheel 1 and punch 2 are mounted on opposite sides of metal strip S which moves continuously from an uncoiler (not shown) in the direction of the arrows as shown in FIGURES l and 3. As indicated above, the operation of the solenoid 3 is controlled by a pin hole detector and memory device of a type as shown, for example, in the above mentioned patent and copending application. in a manner to be described, actuation of the punch 2 by the solenoid 3 is effective to force a hardened steel punch against the strip S which is thus forced against the rubber tired wheel 1 and is resiliently supported thereby in the area around the punch while the punch perforates or forms an indentation in the strip S.

The wheel 1 comprises a steel rim 5 having a hub 6 mounted on a shaft 7. The ends of the shaft 7 are supported in bearings 8 which are attached to mounting brackets 9. A rubber tire or tread 10 is mounted on the rim 5 and has its peripheral surface 12 continuously engaged with the strip S along a line extending transversely of the strip movement and at the top 13 of tread surface 12 as viewed in the drawings. In this manner, the strip S has frictional driving engagement with the wheel 1 which is continuously rotated at a peripheral speed corresponding to the linear speed of strip movement.

Brackets 14 and 15 form a support for the solenoid 3 on a vertically extending panel 16 which is secured to a stationary mounting bracket 17. The panel 16 also furnishes a support for the punch 2.

The punch 2 comprises a member 18 which is secured to one end of a shaft 19. The shaft 19 extends transversely of the path of strip movement and has an axis which is parallel to the axis of the wheel shaft 7 and which lies in a vertical plane containing the point 13 and the axis of the wheel shaft 7. A bronze bearing block 20 secured to the panel 16 furnishes a rotational support for the shaft 19 and the member 18 secured thereto. The member 18 has an opening extending along a eter thereof that provides a slide trackway in which a punch operator 21 is received and has an axial sliding movement. A spring 22 has one end bearing against the member 18 and its other end bearing against the head 23 on the upper end of the operator 21 and provides a bias for maintaining the operator 21 in a retracted upperposition. A hardened steel insert 24 has threaded engagement in the end of the head 23 for receiving the force of a striker in a manner to be described. A hardened steel punch or die 25 is secured to the lower end of the operator 21 by a lock nut 26. A torsional spring 27 is connected to an opposite end of the shaft 19 and applies a rotational bias thereto for moving the member 18 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1, to a position with a ledge 28 thereon engaged with a stop plate 29 seen-red to the panel 16. In this position of the punch supporting member 18, the punch 25 and its operator 21 have their axes arranged in thevertical plane which contains the axes of the shafts 19 and 7. By reason of this arrangement, downward movement of the operator 21 is effective to force the punch 25 into engagement with the strip S at a point opposite the point 13 on the rubber thread periphery 12.

The solenoid 3 comprises an operating coil 31 and a vertically movable armature 32. A spring 33 biases the movement of the armature 32 to the retracted position shown in the drawings. The spring 33 has its upper end bearing against a nut 34 threaded on the upper end of a rod 35 and its lower end bearing against the bracket 14 carried by the panel 16. The rod 35 projects through an opening inthe bracket 14 and has its lower end connected to the armature 32. A striker rod 37 is secured of the coil 31.

to the .lower end of the armature 32 for movement .wardly to move the die 25 into engagement with the strip S and causes it to perforate or indent the strip S. The resilience of the rubber tire or tread furnishes a resilient support for the strip S in the area about the die punch 25 so that the portion of the stripengaged by the die punch 25will be forced into-the rubber of the tread 10. As the die punch 25 engages the strip S, it is rotated by movement of the strip about the axis of the shaft 19 against the action of the torsion spring 27. Upon de-energization of the solenoid coil 31, the spring 33 becomes effective to retract the armature 32 and the spring 22 retracts and moves the die punch 25 out of engagement with the strip S. Upon movement out of engagement with the strip S, the torsion spring 27 operates to return the shaft 19 and the member -18 to its normal position determined by the stop 29 for a subsequent punching operation.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may he made without departing from the scope of the following claims,

I claim:

1. An apparatus for marking continuously travelling metal strip comprising a wheel mounted on one side of said strip forrotation about an axis extending transversely of the direction of strip movement, a rubber tread on said wheel engaged with said strip, a support mounted on the opposite side of said strip for rotation about an axis parallel to said wheel axis and lying in a vertical plane containing said .wheel' axis, a slide trackway on said support extending in a direction normal to its said axis of rotation, a punch mounted for rectilinear sliding movewhich said trackway and punch are arranged in said vertical plane, said punch being movable in said trackway between a retracted position and an operative strip markingposition and having a spring biasing it to its said retracted position, and a solenoid operated striker rod for actuating said punch to move it from said retracted position to said strip marking position in which it engages with said strip at a point directly opposite the point at which it is engaged by said wheel tread, the said trackw'ay mounting of said'punch on said support providing for its rotational movement with said support in the direction ofthe strip travel over said rubber tread in response to its marking engagement with the strip.

, 2. An apparatus for marking continuously travelling metal strip comprising a backing member mounted on one side of said strip and having contacting engagement therewith, a support mounted on the opposite side of said strip for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the path of strip movement and'lying in a vertical plane passing through the strip at a point where said backing member has contacting engagement therewith, a slide trackway on said support'extending in a direction normal to its said axis of rotation, a punch mounted for rectilinear sliding movement in said trackway, a stop limiting the movement of said support in one rotational direction, a spring biasing the rotational movement of said support in said one direction to a normal position engaged with said stop and in which said track way and punch are arranged in said vertical plane, said punch being movable in said trackway between a re tracted positionand an operative strip marking position and having a spring biasing it to its said retracted position, and a solenoid operated striker rod for actuating said punch to move it from said retracted position to said strip marking position in which it engages with said strip at a point directly opposite the point at which it has contacting engagement with said backing member, the said trackway mounting of said punch on said support providing for its rotational movement with said support in References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 234,797 'Miller Nov. 23, 1880 515,927 Stimpson Mar. 6, 1894 869,858 Leidigh' Oct. 29, 1907 1,152,886 Dom Sept. 7, 1915 2,018,366 'Klause Oct. 22, 1935 2,047,221 Pechy July 14, 1936 2,083,370 Greulich June 8, 1937 2,155,578 Anderson s Apr. 25, 1939 2,201,481 Dollahi-te May 21, 1940 2,218,674 Eaton Oct. 22, 1940 2,222,842 Humphrey Nov. 26, 1940 2,229,638 'Chaniberlin et al. Jan. 28, 1941 2,246,906 Viebahn et al. June 24, 1941 2,286,686 Muddiman June 16, 1942 2,445,843 7 Turner July 27, 1948 2,576,043 Rendel Nov. 20, 1951 2,589,347 Demerath Mar. 18, 1952 2,621,740 Shanley h Dec. 16, 1952 2,621,741 Kane Dec. 16, 1952 2,660,133 Anetsberger Nov. 24, 1953 2,729,028 Slayter Jan. 3, 1956 2,730,233 Coleman et a1. Jan. 10, 1956 

